Sound-recording apparatus



N. H. HOLLAND.

SOUND RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 30. 1914. RENEWED 02c. 16, 1920.

Patented J 11110 20, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- M L ff mum/70 gt/aw Z, W

fi ATTORNEYS .UNI ED TA E PPATENTTO-FFYCE-- -I\TEWMAN n. noI'ILAND, ,or"wEsrr ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To NEW JERSEY PATENT comrauir, or 'WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWMAN H. Hon- LA'ND, a subject of the King ofz'Great Britain, and a resident of West Orange,-in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Recording apparatus, of which the following is a description. 7

My invention relates to sound recording apparatus, and more particularly to new and improved apparatus for recording telephonic.

conversations, as upon a phonograph or sound record. One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved device ofthis character adapted to be readily used in connection with the ordinary telephones and phonographs in common use and without the v necessity of making objectionable connections to the telephone line. Other ob ects of my invention will appear more fully in the following specification and appended claims:

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood. attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings form ing part of this specification and in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a telephone outfit adapted to be used in connection with my invention;

6. The arm 3 has secured thereto a spring support 7 for a feed nut 8 engaging the rotatable feed screw 9 to effect the feeding movement of the arm 3 and the recorder 2 longitudinally of the record. Referring to Fig. 3, the drive pulley 10 is arranged to be rotated from the phonograph motor (not shown) as by a belt 10. The rotation of the pulley 10 is adapted to be transmitted to the mandrel or support 11 for the cylinder 6 through a shiftable clutch member 12.

Movement of the clutch member in one di- SOUND-RECORDING APPARATUS.

rection or the other serves to connector the support 11.. The means shown for controlling the position of the clutch member 12 and therebystarting or stopping the rotatlon of the support 11 and the cylinder carried thereby comprises a bell crank lever 14 having a'looseconnection with the clutch ,member 12, a link 15 connected at one end to the lever 14 and at the opposite end to a lever I Specification of Letters Patent. putnted J ne 2(} Application filed November 30, 1914, Serial No. 874,672. Renewed December 16,1920. Serial No. 431,275.

16, and a suitable pneumatic device connect- I ed to' the-lever 16. The pneumatic device preferably consists of a pump17 secured tothe bottom of the top plate 18 of .the phonograph motor cabinet,-a second pump 19, and means connecting the said pumps comprising a flexible tube 20 having at its opposite ends members 20 and 20 detachably and frictionally connected to the tubular members 21 and 22 leading to the interiors of the cylinders of the pumps 17 and 19 respectively. The piston 23 of the pump 17 is connected to, the lever 16 by a link 24 which is pivotally connected to the piston 23 at one end and to the link 16 at the other end. A limited amount of relativemovement between the pump mechanism and the clutch is provided for by arranging the pivot 25 between with Elaterally extending arms 27 and 28 respectivelyto which are pivotally connected push buttons 29 and 30 respectively which may be alternately depressed by the fingers to eifect theshifting of the clutch 12 and the starting and stopping of the rotation of the record cylinder. The nfimeral 31. designates an ordinary telephone standard carrying a telephone transmitter 32 and a telephone receiver 33. The parts hereinbefore specifically described are of well-known construction and do not per se form any part of my present invention.

y The pump 19 hereinbefore referred to is carried on the under side of the top of a box or container 34, which, as will hereinafter appear, supports or contains in compact and conveniently arranged manner substantially all of the parts needed to adapt the ordinary recording phonograph for recording the telephone conversations or other sounds transmitted over an ordinary telephone line. The. box or container 34, together with the parts carried thereby may be made comparatively light and small so I that it," maybe readily'carried faround froms I place to place, {The top wall-l ofthe said box isfprovided on the-outside withfa plu- I preferably rounded .ofiyas shown in Fig; 2-,

and this member' is preferably,lthough not necessarily, made of soft. rubber orY other; suitable flexible material. The arms 35 may be secured in position by screws (1 or in any other "suitable way. The outer ends' of said arms arevdirected upwardly, the upwardly directed portions having [inwardly curved portions 35 adapted to engage'over the bead or projection 33. ontheordinary tele hone.

receiver so as to hold the'said receiver rmly I x by: support the said receiver. The lower end inoperative pos tion-"on the box or container 34 withthe diaphragm 33 in' direct communication-with the interior of the member 36. The member 36 communicates with and extends within the upperportion of a right angular tube 37 I which is fastened at its upper end to the top of the box or container 34. The other end of the tube 37 contains the neck 38 of a telephone transmitter 39 which is supported by the tube 37 incthe in-e terior of the box or container 34,'as shownin v 1 i x 7 he telephone transmitter, as shown, comprises a vibratory diaphragm 40 which constitutes oneof theelectrodes and aplu'nger- 41 adapted to reciprocatein the sleeve 42 and constituting. the other electrode, a spring 43 serving topres's tlie electrode 41' against the granular conductive-material 44.

which lies between the electrodes and to pre- 7 vent vibration of the electrode, 41 by the 1 vibrationsiof the diap hragm '40. cylindrical flexible "sleeve 45 surrounding and sec'uredtothe electrode 41 serves to prevent the'granular material 44 from falling out of place between the two electrodes. The

transmitter 39 may, if desired, be constructed in the manner-- set forth in my co ending application, Serial No.7 67,261 filed ay 13,

1913 on which Patent No. 1,226,886 was ed to a flat-bottom member 34 as shown granted May 22, 1917.

receiver 46 and a Se OndtelephOnejIeceiver the record cylinder 6 the vibrations orun'du- *lations' set up by the-transmitter 39; The

' receiver'47 and the'iecordei 2 as combined constitute, in effect, an electromagnetic recorder. The recelver 46 serves to permit the operator to hear the telephone conversation which is being recorded. The receiver 47 may, in the main, be of usual construction, and, as shown, comprises the usual magnet 48 and vibratory diaphragm 49. A-

neck 50 formed on the receiver passes over The transmitter 39 is "electrieallyhconi nected, in a manner which wi11.,be.herein after more fully set forth, 'to;,:aj..telephone y p t-1 thevrecorder neck 2', as shown in Figs. 1 "and 2','so that vibrations corresponding-to those set up by the diaphragm 49 may conveyed to the recorder stylus 2K In order to insure the maximum com- 76 p'actness possible for my improved apparatus, 1 preferably formthe box or fc'ontainer 34'with-fa recessed portion 51 in'whioh the receiver-- 46 is adapted to' be supported; 1 as by the lever 52 pivoted at 531110 a lug 54 threadedloosely into one of the-side walls of the recess 51. Twoof the walls of the" said recess are shown at 51' andg51-in Fig. 3.- The lever 52'has a substantially horizontal "portion 55' having. a hook shaped end 756 adapted to-be' passed throughian eye 57 sea I cured to the top-of the receiver 46-150 therelever 52 laterally, that is, about the axis of the threaded portion oflug 54. A stop 60 slidably mounted, as by a collar 61, upon the .lever 52 above the pivot serves, when in the position shown in Fig. 2, to limit the movement of the upper end of the lever 52 towards the container 34 so as to prevent the movement of the lower end of lever 52'outwardly out of operative relation to the pin 59. The collar 61 may be retained inposif. tion upon the lever 52 by friction or in any othersuitable manner. By raising stop"60= f above the top of cabinet 34, the lower end of lever 52 may be moved outwardly'of the cabinet beyond the pin 59, and the said'lever may then be rotated laterally so as. tomove a the upper end thereof below the top of the cabinet and into the recess 51. :The apparatus is thus arranged in a very compact and convenient form for Shipment From this compact form, the lever 52 and StopGO-may again be readily moved back into the position shown in Fig, 2.

7 The cab'net or container 34' comprises. the box-likeuppe'r'portion 34' hingedly connect lid at'62, aspringclasp 63 secured to the botopening adapted to receive azpin 64 secured '-'to the upper portion 34' to thereby normally hold the container in closed position.

y moving the upper end of the spring catch 63 away from the upper portion 34' of the con tainer and out of engagement with the pin 64, the upper portion of the container may be readily raised so as to permit access to the interior thereof. Referring to Fig. 3,

it will be seen-that the container provides a if space for the reception of a cell" or battery,

65 or other suitable source of electrical en-. 7 ergy. The terminals of the battery, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are inthe form of spring contacts 66 and 67, these contacts,

65. The Wall 51,

' of the container 34 has secured to the bot tom thereof, as v I v I "indicated in dotted lines at68, aliatvsup- Iport 69 formed of electrical insulation and having secured thereto two contacts-70-and 7'1respectively.1 The contacts 7 Oand 71 are 1 arranged to engage-the contacts 67 -and' 66- v v 1 I; orjcam-like portion 900i thejcontact185;to j The electrical circuits for the battery 65, -,contact pistonfQYofthe gagged and pressed downwardly by 83 on the telephone receiver 33 when the seen that the conductor 81, the receiver 46,

by screws, one 'of which is respectively.

the transmitter 39, and the receivers 46: an

47 comprise a wire or other suitableconductor 72 leadingfrom' the contact 71'land electrically connected to a spring contact 73' arranged adjacent to but normally out of contact with the upturned -'en d '74 ofthe contact'75. The contacts cured to theunder side of the top wall of the container 34and are held out of electrical connection .with eachother and with the container 34 by spacing blocks 7 Gand 77 of electricalinsulation. On the contact 73 adjacent one extremity thereof rests a head-"- ed pin '78, of electrical insulation, the upper portion ofwhich is adapted to be enthe bead latter is placed in position upon the clasp formed by the supporting arms 35.-

This

ment with the upturned portion 74 of the contact 7 5 so. as to establish. electrical connection between the said contacts. When the receiver 33 is lifted from the clasp formed y 73 rises by reason of its resiliency and thereby breaks the electrical connection'between the contacts 73 and 75. From the contact 75 there leads a conductor 79 which is electrically connected with one of the electrodes of the transmitter 39. The other electrode of the said transmitter is electrically connected to a conductor 80 which is in electrical connection with two conductors 81 and 82, so as-to form a divided circuit, the conductor 81 being in one branch of the circuit and leading to the receiver 46 and the conductor 82 being in the other branch of the circuit and leading to the receiver 47. From the receiver 46 leads a conductor 83 which,

as'shown, is connected to the contact 70. From the receiver 47 leads a conductor 84 which is in electrical connection with the spring contact 85, one end of which is secured to the insulating support 69, the other end of said contact being normally free and spaced from the upturned end 86 of the contact 7 O. I provide the operating means for the pump 19 with means for forcing the contact 85 into engagement with the part 86 when the said pump is operated to move the clutch 12 into operative position, the said forcing-means permitting the contact 85 to the arms 35, the free end of the contact the pump 19 is operated in the-revels t,

(abreast, as a the container 34;;fOrE-{m6ipment ab ut a horizontal axis,-= th esaid; arm "carryrection. The means shown for this purpose; 'tl'iin'fthe;

ing at its; lower-genda disc-'89" ofi electrical insulation adapted to coact withi'th inclined .move -the' same towards the partf86 of the hasfa pivotalsconnection with the piston 9 andQaslotted connection with the arm 87, the said slotted connection, being similar to and 96' extending slidably through i openings inzthe. topof;;;the;container 34 to per- 70. Thearm-87 is connected to the pumpy19 by a link 92-which mit ready manual operationof the pump 19 and Y the clutch mechanism controlled thereby, while simultaneously forcing contact 85 into engagementwith contact 7 O. The contact 70, as hereinbeforestated, is in contact with the spring contact 67 which is connected to one of the terminals of the battery' 65. It will be and the conductor 83'form a shunt from the conductor 80 to the'contact 70 in the main circuit containing the battery ,65, the transmitter 39,- ,and-the recorder '47, 2., "The cir cuit'containing the-receiver .46 should be of very high resistance compared with the circuit. containing the receiver 47 so that the undulations impressed on the receiver 47 will be sufficiently strong to cause a good distinct record to be made into the record me- 'dium 6 while the sound waves set up by the receiver 46 will not be objectionably or unnecessarily. intense. for example, be about 650 ohms for the ci1.

cuit containing the receiver 46 and about 15 ohms for the circuit containing the IBGBlVGI 47. This result may be obtained by mak-- ing the receiver 46 of suitable high resistance The resistances may,

and the receiver 47 of suitable low resistance or it may be accomplished in any suit: able way whereby the said shuntcontaining the receiver 46 has a suitably higher electrlcal resistance than the portion'of thesaid;

main circuit between the conductor 80 and contact 7 0.. The sound wave impulses or undulations from the receiver 33, which are too weak to permit a satisfactory phonograph or sound record to be made thereby, are am- I made upon-thecylindert. In. order to Y insure the removal of the telephone receiver erator is finished with the use of my improved apparatus, I provide a signal which is in operation as long as the receiver 33 is in operative position upon the container 34 and the receiver 46 hung'up. on the hook 56. As shown, the signal consists of an electric buzzer 97, but various other kinds of signals may be employedf The' electric engagement with the lower end of the lever buzzer or hell 97',- as shown, has its termi-- nals connected with conductors 98 and 99,

the former conductor being electrically connected with the conductor 79 at the point 100. The conductor 99 is in electrical '"con- 'nection with a spring contact 101 which has an end portion 102 directed towards the free end of a spring contact 103,'the contacts 101 and 103 being connected adjacent one end to the inside of one ofv the side walls of the.

container 34 and-being normally held out of electrical engagement with each other by spacing members 104 and 105 of electrical insulation. The free end of the contact 103 bears against one end of a pin 106, formed ofelectrical insulation, the pin 106 being slidable Within an opening in thewall of the container 34 and having its end remote from that which engages the contact 103 in 52; so that when the receiver 46 is placed upon the hook 56, the weight of said receiver will cause the lever 52 to move in an anticlockwisedirection and thereby force the pin 106 to the right, referring to Fig. 2, whereby the contact 103 is moved into electrical connection with the end 102 of the contact 101. the hook 56, the spring contact 103 moves by reason of itsresiliency out of engagement with the end 102 of the contact 101 and at the same time forces the pin 106 and the lower end of lever 52 to the left, referring to Fig. 2 into the positions shown in said. figure. The contact 103 is electrically connected to the conductor 83, as by a conductor 107. It will be seen that so long as the receiver 46 is supported by the hook 56 and the receiver 33 is in operative position upon the container 34, the, contact 103 will engage the end 102 of the contact 101 and the contact 73 will engage the end 74 of the contact .75; so that there will be a complete circuit from the battery through the contacts 66 and 71, the conductor 72, the contacts 73 and 75, the conductor 79 to the point 100 and thence through the conductor .98, the signal 97, the conductor 99, the contacts 101 and 103, the conductor 107, the

conductor 83 and the contacts and 67 back to the battery 65, and the signal 97 wlll be in operation. As it is customary and natu- When the receiver 46 is raised from tainer 34. W ith-this signal in operation, the

operator is apprised of the fact that he has failed to replace the receiver 33 upon the receiver hook 31; and thus the danger. of leaving the receiver 33 0E the'hook 31 for long periods is avoided.

Most of the electrical connections hereinbefore described are located within the container 34. The portions of the conductors 81 and 83 which are connected to the receiver 46 and must necessarily extend without the casing 34,, are, as shown in Fig. 1, on. closed within a suitable insulating cord 108. Each of the conductors 82 and 84 connected to the electromagnetic recorder 47, 2 is preferably formed in two sections detachably connected by a'suitable connecting 'device 109. The portions of the conductors 82 and 84 without the cabinet 34 are preferably enclosed within an insulating 'cord '110, as shown in Fig. 1.

In operation, the receiver 47 is placed over the neck 2 of the recorderv 2, the tube 20 being likewise connected with the tubular members 21 and 22. Vhen the operator receives a call on the telephone 31, he places the receiver 33 in operative position upon the clasp formed by the arms 35 and applies the receiver 46 to his ear, at the same time making certain that the button 95 is depressed so thatthe contact 85 will be in electrical connection with the portion 86 of the rotation of the record cylinder 6. The J placing of the receiver 33 in operative position upon the top of the container 34 causes the contact 73 to be moved into engagement with the end 74 of the contact '75, as hereinbefore described. The phonograph now operates in the usual manner, the record cylinder being rotated and the recorder 2 being moved along the record cylinder by the feeding means 8 and 9 in the usual manner. V hen the diaphragm 33 of the receiver 33 is set into vibration in accordance with the telephone conversation of the party speaking to the operator of the device herein described, undulations or impulses corresponding to the vibrations of the said diaphragm are conveyed by the air in the connection 37 to the transmitter diaphragm, and impulses whereby a telephone receiver may be supported in positionto impress on said transmitter undulations corresponding to sound waves, a rotatable record support in operav tive relation to said recorder, and unitary controlling means for efi'ecting the closing of same therefrom, a rotatable record support in operative relation to said recorder, and unitary controlling means for eifectingthe rotation of said recordsupport and the closing of a gap in said first named circuit, sub

- stantially as described.

9. A container for a source of electrical energy, a telephone transmitter carried by said container, means whereby the said source may be electrically connected to said transmitter, controlling means carried by. said container for causing a gap to be formed or closed in said connecting means, a rotatable support, and starting and stop ping means for said support connected to and operable by said controlling means, substantially as described.

10. A container, a telephone transmitter carried thereby, electrically conductive means connected to'said transmitter, controlling means carried by said container for causing a gap to be formed or closed in said conductive means, a rotatable support, and

starting and stopping means for said sup-' port connected to and operable by said controlling means, substantially as described.

11. Thecombination of means operable by a telephone receiver for recording undula tions corresponding to sound Waves, said recording means being provided with means for supporting the telephone receiver in operative relation thereto, and signal means for indicating when the receiver is in operative relation to said recording means, substantially as described.

12. The combination of means operable by a telephone receiver for recording undulations corresponding to sound waves, said recording means being provided with means for supporting the telephone receiver in operative relation thereto, signal means for indieating when the receiver is in operative relation to said recording means, and support ing means operable by the weight of the article supported thereby to control the operation of said signal means, substantially as described. I t

13. The combination of means for recording undulations corresponding to sound waves, a telephone receiver operatively connected to said means, signal means, and supporting means for said receiver operable by the Weight thereof to control the operation of said signal means, substantially as described.

14:. The combination of means operable by a telephone receiver for recording undulations corresponding to sound waves, said recording means being provided with means for supporting the telephone receiver in 0perative relation, signal means for indicating when the receiver is in operative relation to said recording means, a second telephone receiver arranged to be operated to set up sound wave undulations corresponding to those set up by said first telephone receiver, and supporting means for said second telephone receiver operable by the weight thereof to control the operation of said signal means, substantially as described.

15. Tliecombination with an electric circuit containing a source of current suppl a telephone transmitter, and a phonograp 'c recorder, of means whereby a telephone receiver may be supported in position to. impress on said transmitter undulations corresponding to sound waves, and a telephone receiver electrically connected in circuit with said transmitter, substantially as described.

16. In an apparatus of the class described, 100 the combination of a phonographic recording mechanism including a record medium, a diaphragm, a stylus mounted on said diaphragm, an electric device for vibrating said diaphragm, an electric circuit including said 105 "device, telephone mechanism comprising a receiver and a transmitter connected to said circuit, means whereby said transmitter may be used independently of said receiver to operate said electric device, and means for sup I ,a telephone transmitter, and a recorder, of phonograph mechanism coacting with said recorder, means whereby a telephone reg ceiver-may be supported in position to impress on said transmitter undulations corresponding to sound waves, and unitary means'for controlling the opening and closing of said circuit and the operation of said mechanism, substantially as described.

18. The combination of a telephone receiver, a pair of contacts, and supporting means for said receiver normally occupying an operative position relative to said-contacts in which it is movable to control the engagement and disengagement of said contacts, said supporting means being mounted for movement to another position in which it is in inoperative relation to said contacts,

: substantially as described.

20. The combination of a telephone line comprising a receiver, an electric circuit containing a source of current supply, a telephone transmitter and a phonographic recorder, means whereby said telephone recelver may be removably supported in operative position with respect to said transmitter to impress thereon undulations corresponding to sound Waves, and supplementa-ry receiving means so arranged and posi, tioned that it may be used for hearing the messages coming in over the telephone line when the said receiver is supported in operative position with respect to said transmitter, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 25th day of November, 1914:. i

. NEWMAN H.'HOLL AND,

Witnesses: 1

FREDERICK B-ACHMANN,

MAY J. L IDLAW. 

